Validating Test Chambers to Study Cooperative Communication Mechanics in Portal 2

ABSTRACT

Cooperative communication mechanics, such as avatar gestures or in-game visual pointers, enable player collaboration directly through gameplay. There remain open questions about how players use cooperative communication mechanics, and whether they can effectively supplement or even supplant traditional voice and chat communication. This paper describes a future study to investigate player communication in Portal 2, and chronicles the design and validation of test chambers for the study.

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Index Terms

• Human-centered computing

  • Collaborative and social computing